Have You Conducted Your Smoke and Dye Test?

Under the Georgia Industrial Storm Water Permit, all covered facilities are required to conduct a smoke, dye, or equivalent test of all floor drains and sinks in industrial areas. These tests are to ensure that these sinks and floor drains do not discharge to storm water conveyances, and must be conducted by the end of the permit, May 31, 2017.

A smoke test is conducted by forcing smoke through pipes or manholes in order to evaluate the pipe connections. A thermal aerosol smoke generator is used to create a continuous stream of white smoke, which is then directed into a pipe or manhole. The discharge locations of the smoke are then evaluated to determine any illicit connections.

A dye test is conducted by placing a water-soluble dye tablet into a drain or sink, then flushing it with water. The locations where dyed water is observed are then evaluated to determine what connections are present.

Other options include reviewing as-built drawings of the facility, if available, visual inspections, if possible, and video inspections. In general, a review of as-built drawings is the easiest way to satisfy the permit requirements; however, in our experience these drawings are hard to come by. Additionally, visual inspections are limited to areas that are wholly visible, so if a sink discharges below ground, it cannot be visually inspected.

For more information or help in conducting your facility’s smoke and dye test prior to the May 31, 2017 deadline, please contact Conversion Technology, Inc. at (770) 263-6330 or visit our website, www.conversiontechnology.com.